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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26976316">a chain of (un)fortunate events</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spill1ngardans/pseuds/Spill1ngardans'>Spill1ngardans</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tuebor - original Victorian AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Victorian, Bickering, F/F, Fights, First Kiss, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Frenemies, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Blood, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Multi, Poker, Some Humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:34:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,629</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26976316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spill1ngardans/pseuds/Spill1ngardans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>she doesnt get to finish her sentence, something hits her lips and she closes her eyes as she<br/>flinches. Don't be fooled, the impact wasn't that violent, it’s actually the softest touch she has ever<br/>experienced, it's just that she wasn't prepared – also, she can taste something metallic, which feels<br/>slightly unpleasant. It takes a few seconds to realize that </p><p>oh, Adelaide is kissing her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Female Character/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tuebor - original Victorian AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1968661</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Dearest! Will you please get up? Miss Davies will be here any minute now! Please?!” Florence’s<br/>
voice screams urgency and really, Adelaide would kill for her girlfriend, but it's eight in the morning<br/>
on a weekend and they're running on three hours of sleep. She has no idea how Florence can be so<br/>
energetic after everything she did the night before.</p><p>“Ow... baby, can't you just let me be? Miss Davies doesn't even like me that much"</p><p>Florence looks at her with disapproval and her arms crossed on her chest. “It's not that she doesn't<br/>
like you and you know that. It's just that you're so energetic and not exactly a traditional lady, and<br/>
she's not Briar nor me. Not everyone has the mindset to keep up with your stormy nature, but she<br/>
doesn't hate you. You two even pull pranks on me sometimes!”</p><p>Suddenly, Adelaide jumps off the bed and reaches the redhead, their noses touching.</p><p>“You like me though.” She whispers, her voice still raspy with sleep.</p><p>“<em>For some weird reason</em>, i do, yeah.” Florence’s answer sounds confident, but in reality her brain is<br/>
short-circuiting. They're too close, their lips only one breath away. The two lovebirds have yet to<br/>
share their first kiss, they've never felt the need until now – or so she thinks – the small girl doesn't<br/>
even think about it often, really. She's content just by being next to the brunette, reading and<br/>
playing cards with her, running away from the umpteenth ballroom hand in hand and so on. But with<br/>
Adelaide invading her personal space, she just knows she's going to think about it all day.</p><p> </p><p>On the contrary, Adelaide is dying to kiss the small redhead. The brunette has never been afraid of<br/>
showing affection and taking the first step, but she knows Florence is shy and insecure, and she'd<br/>
never force her into something she doesn't want to do. This doesn't stop her eyes from falling on the<br/>
other’s thin lips though.</p><p> </p><p>The brunette's head finds a comfortable pillow on Florence's shoulder and whines.</p><p>“We shouldn't have stayed up all night playing Whist”. Florence chuckles and wraps her arms around<br/>
the taller girl's waist.</p><p>“But i want to beat the Ace of Hearts!! You have seen her, love. That woman is a monster, i just<br/>
know she must be cheating somehow” her words are muffled and tickling the other's neck.</p><p>“I'm sure Ms Taylor is just extremely skilled.” She pats the brunette's head.</p><p> </p><p>Their impromptu cuddling season is interrupted by the ring of the bell. Florence quickly releases the<br/>
brunette and runs to the door, not without sending a glare to the other.</p><p>Before opening the door, she suddenly remembers that Miss Davies is not Briar, and that means<br/>
she's supposed to give in to social norms and bow once she sees the other young lady. A sigh<br/>
escapes her lips.</p><p>Miss Davies greets her with a delicate bow and a courteous smile. “Miss Clark.”</p><p>“Miss Davies!” The redhead mirrors her actions and invites her in. “it's been a while. How are you<br/>
doing?” </p><p> </p><p>Florence and Sylvia Davies have been friends for years, long before the redhead met Adelaide. Miss<br/>
Davies looks contemplative and silent from the outside, but Florence knows about her hidden<br/>
chaotic nature.</p><p>
  <em>I must be a magnet for crazy people</em>
</p><p>It's not rare for her and Adelaide to join forces and pull small pranks on her: they're never too much,<br/>
but for some reason Florence falls for it every single time.</p><p> </p><p>(<em>Florence can clearly see the two young women whispering to each other behind the sofa, but doesn't</em><br/>
<em>pry. She doesn't really want to know what's going on, and after all, she knows they're plotting</em><br/>
<em>something against her and she can't do anything other than accepting it. She just hopes her clothes</em><br/>
<em>won’t get wet this time around.</em></p><p>
  <em>She’s pulled out of her thoughts by Adelaide's voice calling her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Florence! Do you want a glass of water? You gotta stay hydrated!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Florence feels her doom getting nearer and nearer but Adelaide won’t let go until she takes the bait.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Sure!” she smiles reassuringly and sees Miss Davies snickering behind her lover.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Here you go!” The late-teen exclaims triumphantly and places the glass on the table. Both her and</em><br/>
<em>Sylvia stare at her expectantly and Florence understands: there must be something in the water. She</em><br/>
<em>inspects the liquid, but both the colour and the odour are exactly what they are supposed to b , even</em><br/>
<em>though her sense of smell isn't exactly the best, so maybe she shouldn't have relied on it. The only</em><br/>
<em>way to find out is tasting it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reluctantly, she draws the glass closer to her lips and as soon as the liquid makes contact with her</em><br/>
<em>tongue, she spits it out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“WHAT THE-" her screams are outplayed by the laughs coming from behind the sofa. Adelaide and</em><br/>
<em>Miss Davies both get up: Adelaide doesn't even try to cover her loud and juvenile laugh, she has tears</em><br/>
<em>in her eyes and points to the redhead; Miss Davies is also laughing, but it's softer and she's covering</em><br/>
<em>her mouth, even though her convulsive shoulders speak volumes about how much fun she's having.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You were so cute with your eyes squeezed shut and your tongue poking out. You looked like a</em><br/>
<em>kitten!” the brunette manages to exclaim in between her maniacal laughs.</em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>Florence sighs but then she starts laughing with them. This is not that bad, she thinks.</em>)</p><p> </p><p>“I'm doing good, thank you. My fiancé has brought back some jewelley with him from his last<br/>
journey and i'm delighted to wear it. Do you fancy my new necklace?” miss Davies blushes and<br/>
smiles, showing said necklace to the redhead.</p><p>“It looks fantastic on you, miss Davies.” She smiles too.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Florence has never met Sylvia’s fiancé before, but she knows a lot about him. The blond-haired girl<br/>
loves talking about him and all the gifts she always receives. She thinks about the gifts Adelaide gives<br/>
her and smiles at the thought.</p><p>(<em>Dearest, what are you doing with a lizard in your hands?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Look! It's so tiny! If i wrap it around your finger, it could be a ring! Do you want a lizard ring?” the</em><br/>
<em>brunette is ecstatic about it. Florence wonders whether Adelaide is eighteen or eight sometimes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Love, i'm so thankful, but... don't you think the lizard has places to be? A life? Would you like to be</em><br/>
<em>caged around someone's finger? I don't think so. Leave it be, if you want a ring, we can always buy</em><br/>
<em>some materials and forge them ourselves.” Her voice is sweet and persuasive.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The brunette deflates but she seems to understand where Florence is coming from and reluctantly</em><br/>
<em>frees the lizard.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay...” her voice is slightly disappointed “no lizard rings.”</em>
</p><p><em>Florence just chuckles</em>)</p><p> </p><p>The redhead and miss Davies sit in the parlour, sipping their breakfast tea and munching on some<br/>
freshly-baked crumpets..</p><p> </p><p>“Your baking skills never fail to amaze me, miss Clark!”</p><p>“Why, thank you. I’m glad you find them tasty.”</p><p> </p><p>Sylvia suddenly starts looking around with a questioning gaze, she has a question on the tip of her<br/>
tongue but doesn't know how to put it in words without sounding weird.</p><p>“Uhm...” she stars, unsure “is miss Wood not here? I mean, you two get on like a house on fire.”</p><p> </p><p>Florence flushes: she can't believe people automatically associate her with Adelaide, and that it<br/>
looks out of place when they're not together. She's a bit taken aback by the question but answers<br/>
anyway.</p><p>“She must be sleeping, but she's here.”</p><p>Sylvia nods and sips on her tea.</p><p>“You're coming to the ball tonight, yes?”</p><p>“of course, miss Davies.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I can’t attend the ball tonight.” Immediately after miss Davies' departure, Florence checks her<br/>
closet in search of a dress for the night, only to find out she doesn't own an exclusive gown to show.<br/>
She can't wear something other people have already seen.</p><p>“What do you mean you can't attend the ball?” Adelaide is incredulous.</p><p>“I don't have a dress! And no, don't look at me like that. I could never wear one of your gowns,<br/>
they're too big, you beanpole. Go without me?” the redhead pleads and pouts.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>No, Adelaide, don't fall for it!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Huh? What am i gonna do without you? We stayed up all night to practice so that we could win<br/>
against Taylor tonight! You know i can’t win alone!” the brunette's voice gets more high-pitched as<br/>
she whines.</p><p>Florence decides to change her tactics, she knows it's blatant manipulation, but she needs the<br/>
gossip.</p><p>“Who said you can't win alone? You practiced a lot! I'm sure you can beat her at least once with a bit<br/>
of attention and luck. Also, what if Briar is there and they don't see you? They'll think you're a<br/>
coward who doesn't want to play against them!”</p><p>Adelaide puts a hand to her chin and ponders. Florence knows she won this round.</p><p>The brunette's expression is serious and determined all of a sudden. “You’re right. I'm not a coward!<br/>
And i'm especially not scared of Briar, tch. Okay, i'm going! I'll beat everyone and i'll even earn some<br/>
piece of juicy gossip for you!” she points at herself like she's the heroine in an epic poem.</p><p>Instinctively, Florence grips the other by her shoulders and kisses her on the cheek. They both stare<br/>
at each other, eyes widened and faces on fire.</p><p>“O-okay, i'll go get ready and- head there" the brunette quickly averts her eyes and takes her leave.<br/>
Florence’s face has gotten even redder if it's possible. She cups her face with her hands and screams<br/>
internally.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Adelaide doesn't want to be here, but everything is worth it if it's for Florence, as she always says to<br/>
herself. As soon as she gets to the ballroom she quickly informs miss Davies of Florence's absence<br/>
and then proceeds to look for Rayne Taylor. It's not hard to notice her presence: where there's a<br/>
crowd of men and women cursing and gasping, the sounds of cards violently hitting the table and a<br/>
theatrical laughter, you'll know she's there. Not much is known about her, some say she's from the<br/>
slums and fakes her noble origins, some say she's actually a noble but she was kicked out, other <br/>
rumours say she escaped from an asylum. All in all, the only piece of info about her is that she's a<br/>
master of cards, no one has ever won against her, and it's thanks to her skills that she gained the<br/>
legendary nickname <em>the Ace of Hearts.</em></p><p>Adelaide is confident tonight, she can win at least once and she can't disappoint her lover.</p><p>After wandering the room for quite some time, she finally sees the crowd. She takes a deep breath<br/>
and points to their direction. “TAYLOR!”</p><p>The bystanders turn their heads and the summoned woman emerges from the commotion.</p><p>Rayne Taylor greets her with her childish but at the same sinister smile and offers a mocking bow.</p><p>“Oh?” her voice indicates fake surprise “what do we have here? Miss Wood! I see you're alone<br/>
tonight. Do you wish to play anyway?” her ways are theatrical, her arms wave around like she's<br/>
hosting a circus performance.</p><p>She hears someone snickering, knowing straightaway who it is.</p><p>“oi ratbag! What are you laughing at?! Shut your mouth. Don’t think i can't see you from here.” she's<br/>
irritated and feels humiliated. She shouldn’t have come alone but her pride is stronger than that.</p><p>“Hi to you too, foozler.” Briar simply answers with their annoying smirk. Adelaide’s hands feel itchy,<br/>
she wants to punch both them and Taylor, but she won't. They're not insulting Florence, there's no<br/>
use in getting violent at the moment.</p><p>“I'll play.” She says finally, and Taylor almost looks impressed.</p><p> </p><p>“Come, then. And good luck. You'll need it.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Damn my blood! Confess Taylor, you're cheating, there's no way you're not cheating.” Adelaide is<br/>
losing her mind. They've been at it for two hours now, and Rayne has already won twice. She can<br/>
hear Briar's mocking laughter from her side. She'd decided to play one-on-one against Taylor; she<br/>
didn't feel confident enough to play against her and her archrival as a team and playing alongside<br/>
with a stranger.</p><p>“Why is it so hard to admit you're not made for this, Wood? It's okay, you're a foozler! No need to be<br/>
embarrassed about it.” The tow-headed doctor won’t stop mocking her, and she's slowly losing her<br/>
patience but can still resist for a bit, <em>or so she thought</em>.</p><p>“you could say her and that gibface compensate each other. At least that midget has some brains.”</p><p>Adelaide doesn't know who pronounced these words, but she needs to know and now. She frees her<br/>
hands from the cards and hits the table with her fists. Everyone winces and Taylor flinches, losing<br/>
her balance and letting her cards fall on the table. She can see a little smirk on her face though while<br/>
she mutters a “uh-oh”.</p><p>The brunette stands up and studies the room. Her voice is low and dark “who said that.” It’s not<br/>
even a question, but a statement. She repeats her words, but no answer whatsoever. She then<br/>
decides to take the matter in her hands: she starts darting around the room in search of the owner<br/>
of that voice. Everyone moves away, not wanting to be crushed by the lady's irate state.</p><p>But only one woman remains at the centre of the room, she's trembling and Adelaide puts two and<br/>
two together. She gets ready to throw a punch straight to her face but her actions are come to a halt<br/>
with by a jab to her left hip. She falls on the ground with a thud and hisses. She looks up and sees an<br/>
unfamiliar man, he's not too sturdy, she can take him out.</p><p>“And who are you, huh?! Her husband?” she provokes him as she's standing up and reciprocates the<br/>
jab with a kick in the shin. The man kneels with a groan and while he's focusing on the pain, the<br/>
brunette kicks him again, this time in the neck, knocking him to the ground. If she can't touch the<br/>
woman, her husband will have to make do, but she doesn't hesitate to look at her, who’s still<br/>
trembling and whimpering now. The man on the ground takes advantage of this and attempts to<br/>
regain his balance, but the brunette senses his movements and puts him in his place by putting<br/>
pressure on his neck with her heel.</p><p>“You.” She points at the woman “apologise.”</p><p>There's no Florence stopping her, and she's aware of it being a negative thing. The small redhead is<br/>
there to ground her when she loses her control.</p><p>The woman doesn't open her mouth. Adelaide pretends to push even more on the man's neck and<br/>
his wife screams. Everyone is looking at the scene with wide eyes, no one knows what to do to put<br/>
an end to it.</p><p>She's so focused on the woman that she forgets about the man on the ground. Her leg gets bitten<br/>
and she yelps, losing her balance. She doesn't have the time to get back on her feet because a fist<br/>
meets her face In the process.</p><p>She’s confused about the aftermath: she can taste her own blood in her mouth and her head is<br/>
spinning. Her face is sticky, she probably has a nosebleed.</p><p>The brunette hears someone cursing and running towards her. She’s being carried on someone's<br/>
shoulder like a bag of potatoes but she can't really see anything, her vision is blurry.</p><p> </p><p>“-i! Oi! Foozler! Can you hear me, you damn beast!”</p><p>The voice is familiar, as well as the nickname.</p><p>
  <em>Briar?</em>
</p><p>“Briar!” She slurs.</p><p>“Yeah, it's me, you bloody moron! Do you have a death wish?!” Their voice is tight, it almost sounds<br/>
<em>worried.</em></p><p>She tries to joke about it imitating their voice. “what, are you worried about me, ratbag?”</p><p>Briar doesn't find it funny at all.</p><p>“you could've gotten seriously injured, do you understand that? What are you, miss Clark’s knight in<br/>
shining armour? Why are you so fierce when it comes to her?”</p><p>Adelaide doesn't answer, she <em>can't</em> answer to that.</p><p>Briar takes the silence as a cue to continue.</p><p>“She'll be devastated once she sees you like this, you know that right?” they sigh “just lay down for a<br/>
bit and then go, i'm not taking you home. I did enough”</p><p>Adelaide chortles. “you did.” But her smile quickly fades thinking about Florence's disapproving face.</p><p>She groans and covers her eyes with her right arm.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>By God, my head hurts too much to get scolded right now...</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adelaide has a home, a lovely home at that. She has a great relationship with her parents: they scold<br/>
her for her attitude sometimes, but she knows they are actually proud of her being able to stand her<br/>
ground and being so lively. Her mother worried a lot about her during her childhood, since she<br/>
would always wander off far from home and climb the trees in the garden, but they always ended up<br/>
laughing together. Her father has always been a bit more reluctant about her demeanor, but has<br/>
never done anything concrete to change her. All in all, she has never had a reason to avoid her<br/>
home, she loves spending time with her folks, she just prefers some quality time with her girlfriend<br/>
lately! That's why when they come back from a ball together or when the brunette gets back on her<br/>
own, she always heads to the redhead's manor. As already mentioned, Adelaide is skilled at climbing<br/>
trees, and there’s one in the Clarks' garden that leads directly to Florence's bedroom. The latter<br/>
almost died from a heart attack the first few times, but she has learned to expect anything from the<br/>
tall girl at this point.</p><p><br/>
Just like every other time, Adelaide reaches Florence's home which wasn't too far from the ballroom<br/>
fortunately. Climbing the tree is a bit challenging this time around: her ribs and face hurt and her<br/>
eyes are not entirely focused. In addition, climbing while wearing a crinoline is always a hassle, but<br/>
she can't exactly dispose of it and hide it among the bushes. She takes a deep breath and proceeds<br/>
to reach the top the familiar magnolia tree. She’s a bit slower than usual but it's understandable, and<br/>
she might have also sprained her left ankle in the meantime, but it's nothing compared to the<br/>
anticipation of seeing her girlfriend in her night robe.</p><p><br/>
Once she's gotten to Florence's window, she gently knocks on the glass. She doesn’t need to be loud,<br/>
she knows the redhead is awake and waiting for her, but she's terrified of her reaction to her beat<br/>
up face.</p><p><br/>
Without missing a beat, the window silently opens and Florence looks up.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br/>
Florence's breath hitches as soon as her eyes lock with Adelaide’s. She certainly didn't expect the<br/>
brunette to come back without causing damage, that's her signature style, after all, but this is<br/>
different from any other time: Adelaide is<em> hurt,</em> she got <em>beaten up</em> – her face is swollen and she can<br/>
see dried blood on her lips and underneath her nose – and she doesn't simply get hurt, she's the one<br/>
<em>beating</em> other people <em>up</em>. The redhead isn’t even sure on how to approach the subject, and if she<br/>
even wants to know. She’s aware of Adelaide’s tendencies, she knows the other only gets<br/>
particularly violent when someone is insulting her, and she can't help but feeling this sour sense of<br/>
guilt growing in her. She doesn't have the energy to scold her. Florence just wants to hold the<br/>
brunette and apologise for her appearance and just for being<em> herself</em>, really.</p><p><br/>
Her emotions must be showing on her face because she's met with Adelaide’s toothy grin which is a<br/>
bit strained now, because of her bruises, but nevertheless it's still the brightest thing Florence has<br/>
ever witnessed.</p><p><br/>
“Knock knock! Can i come in?” the smaller girl really doesn't know how the other can still laugh<br/>
when her face probably hurts like hell.</p><p><br/>
She doesn't have the strength to answer verbally, not yet. She pulls the other in her room by her<br/>
wrists and just holds her. She can hear Adelaide yelp but she quickly reciprocates the hug and<br/>
chuckles</p><p><br/>
They spend a few minutes in silence until Florence's head is a bit clearer and she can finally speak<br/>
up.</p><p><br/>
“What happened?” the question comes out harsher than she intended to, but it’s her frustration<br/>
taking over her. She's not angry at her girlfriend, of course. She's blaming herself instead.</p><p><br/>
The answer she gets is so casual, she wonders if Adelaide has even realized the condition she's in.<br/>
“Heh, i drank a bit too much" that’s a lie, Florence can't smell <em>one drop</em> of alcohol on her clothes,<br/>
which is even more worrying actually “and i got into a fight, but then that ratbag cut in and took me<br/>
away! Can you believe it?” she scoffs.</p><p><br/>
Florence hopes Briar can hear her gratitude from the countryside. She absent-mindedly caresses the<br/>
brunette's hair as her voice gets breathier and gentler. She wants to know what happened and<br/>
drowning the other in her own frustration isn't the right way to go about it.</p><p><br/>
“Love, have you seen your face? You were on the receiving end which never happens and you're<br/>
aching all over. What got you so angry to make you forget about your surroundings, mh? You're<br/>
always on guard."</p><p><br/>
Adelaide's shoulders tense up and she tightens her grip even more. It almost hurts, but Florence<br/>
knows it's not intentional and lets her.</p><p><br/>
“…a gibface" she mumbles. The redhead gives her a questioning hum and she's not ready for fhe<br/>
next reaction. The brunette's voice is strangled but high-pitched now, but she's still not looking at<br/>
the other “an annoying church bell called you a <em>gibface</em>! How dare she, huh?! No one gets to talk<br/>
about you like that! Not only she insulted you when you weren't present but she also got her<br/>
husband to get beaten up on her behalf! How cowardly is that?!” she’s straight-out screaming, her<br/>
eyes are watery – Florence hopes she won’t get any complains in the morning, even though it<br/>
doesn't really matter, she's just happy that the brunette has finally decided to let it all out – but she<br/>
has to try and calm her down. She grips her shoulders.</p><p><br/>
“Love? Love, look at me, it’s okay, you don't- you don’t have to defend me anytime- I-" <em>i'm not worth</em><br/>
<em>it</em>. “I don't really care!” a strained smile shows on her face, but her girlfriend won't buy it.</p><p><br/>
“Stop lying! I know you care, you care <em>too much</em> for the record! I know how insecure you are and i<br/>
know how low your self-esteem is, just because you don't fit some stupid beauty standards! You<br/>
should've seen that woman, she looked like a damn skeleton! They wish they had your chubby<br/>
cheeks! You're the prettiest girl i have ever seen and yeah, i might be biased, but<em> who cares</em>! You<br/>
should only care about those who care about you! That is me, miss Davies and B- ah i can't even say<br/>
it- Briar! Briar called you pretty too, once right? And they're not your lover, they genuinely consider<br/>
you pretty! And moreover, beauty alone is nothing! That woman might be considered pretty by the<br/>
dreadful thing we call <em>society</em>, but her words are <em>venomous</em>. You are kind, you can cook, bake. Not to<br/>
mention, you decided to take care of <em>me</em>, you were patient enough to get to know me beyond my<br/>
aggressive appearance and my bad reputation. Our society is too focused on appearances, but<br/>
you're not, you’re not that superficial, you never were.” Adelaide is breathless now, but she feels so<br/>
much lighter and content with herself. She's not hiding in Florence's neck anymore, instead she's<br/>
staring at her. She just wants Florence to know that it’s okay to be the way she is, there are no<br/>
standards to follow and opinions don't matter.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
Florence has been silent this all time, drinking in Adelaide's impromptu speech. She’s always known<br/>
how much the brunette cares about her, it's no secret, everyone can see it. Those words can't<br/>
obviously heal years of self-deprecation and insecurities, but it's something. Being with Adelaide is a<br/>
chance to heal in itself. She feels a lump in her throat and guilt threatens to devour her once again.</p><p><br/>
<em>I'm a burden, it's my fault if she always gets in trouble, i have to apologise.</em>
</p><p><br/>
“I'm s-" she doesnt get to finish her sentence, something hits her lips and she closes her eyes as she<br/>
flinches. Don't be fooled, the impact wasn't that violent, it’s actually the softest touch she has ever<br/>
experienced, it's just that she wasn't prepared – also, she can taste something metallic, which feels<br/>
slightly unpleasant. It takes a few seconds to realize that <em>oh, Adelaide is kissing her</em>.</p><p><br/>
<em>Ok Florence now process those words.</em><br/>
.</p><p><br/>
.</p><p><br/>
.</p><p><br/>
<em>Oh.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br/>
Adelaide is proud of herself, she's finally kissing her girlfriend and it feels btetter than she could have<br/>
ever imagined. Florence’s lips are thin, but nevertheless they're soft. She should probably move<br/>
because firstly, her neck hurts and secondly, she’s just pressing her – bloody - lips against the<br/>
other's, not confident enough to do something more right off the bat, but she wants to enjoy the<br/>
sensation a bit more, not expecting the small redhead to get so competitive over something like this<br/>
anyway.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br/>
Florence has an idea. She's not as good with words as Adelaide, or better, she doesn't know how to<br/>
sound confident about the things she's talking about. This is her chance to show her girlfriend that<br/>
she feels the same without actually speaking out loud and ending up rambling and stuttering. She<br/>
just has to press back, right? Is that how it works?</p><p> </p><p><br/>
<em>Ugh, whatever</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br/>
In a rare moment of bravery, she cups the brunette's face as confidently as she can and presses her<br/>
lips on the other’s, but she might have pressed too much, and not only with her lips but with her<br/>
whole body, because she hears the other letting out a squeal and she can’t feel the face in her hands<br/>
anymore.</p><p><br/>
She opens her eyes just in time to catch the taller girl from falling down the window.</p><p><br/>
“Oh my God. Oh my God, Adelaide, are you okay?” she's panicking but her lover just laughs, and<br/>
really, she shouldn’t be surprised.</p><p><br/>
“Woah.”</p><p><br/>
“Woah?! You were about to die?!”</p><p><br/>
“Me? Dying? Oh, did you think i was falling off? I wasn't, what do you take me for?” she laughs<br/>
nervously, Florence isn't the only one unable to lie. “No, but, for real. Woah to the… kiss. I'm sorry<br/>
our first kiss tasted of blood, but it's not like it will be our last one, after all!” her cheerful grin is back<br/>
and Florence can finally breathe again.</p><p><br/>
“you're right.” She smiles softly</p><p><br/>
“Can we do it again?”</p><p><br/>
“Of course" she can see the brunette leaning in immediately, but blocks her lips with her right hand.<br/>
“but first, we have to tend to your wounds. You shouldn't have kissed me in this state to begin with.<br/>
You're lucky you’re the most important person to me.” She can't help but laughing, the late-teen is<br/>
really ubbing off on her.</p><p><br/>
The brunette whines but doesn't put up too much of a fight, she's probably too exhausted, physically<br/>
<em>and</em> emotionally.</p><p>“Okaaaay… but then we'll kiss.” there's no space for further discussion.</p><p>“And then we'll kiss.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Dearest?”</p><p><br/>
“Yes, baby?”</p><p><br/>
“Thank you.”</p><p><br/>
“No, baby, thank <em>you</em>.”</p><p><br/>
They kiss again, Adelaide's lips finally clean.</p>
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